On Friday afternoon, top-60 guard prospect Derek Dixon committed to North Carolina over Pitt, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and others.
Dixon, who Pitt had recruited for more than two years, chose the Tar Heels live on 247 Sports.
Dixon, a four star out of Gonzaga Prep in Washington D.C., developed a strong relationship with Pitt head coach Jeff Capel, associate head coach Milan Brown, and the rest of the staff over more than two years since they began recruiting him.
The Pitt staff worked hard to land Dixon, as showcased by Capel and Brown’s trip to D.C. to see him two weeks ago on the same day that he cancelled his visit to Arizona.
Ranked as the No. 51 player in the nation by 247 Sports, Dixon would have been the highest-ranked player to commit to Capel since he took over the Pitt head coaching position. The title of Capel’s highest-ranked commitment is still owned by Dior Johnson, who finished No. 53 overall in 247 Sports’ class-of-2022 rankings. Johnson never appeared in a game for Pitt after being suspended in his freshman season. He spent last year at Clarendon College (JUCO), and is now at UCF playing in the Big 12.
Dixon visited Pitt three times — twice for unofficial visits and once for an official. He recently took an official to North Carolina that likely sealed the deal.
Pitt has one commitment in the 2025 class so far in Omari Witherspoon.
Witherspoon is a 6-foot-4 guard out of Saint John’s College Prep in D.C. — the same high school that current Pitt Panther Ishmael Leggett went to. Witherspoon received an offer from the Panthers in July, and weeks later, narrowed his recruiting list down to ten schools. He then visited several schools on his list, including West Virginia, Maryland, and finally, Pitt, before cutting his list down to just three schools. Now, he has locked in on the Panthers and becomes the first prospect in the class of 2025 to verbally commit to Pitt.
He is now a four-star prospect according to 247 Sports, jumping from No. 191 in the nation all the way up to No. 104 overall according to 247’s latest rankings update.
Four-Star Prospect Omari Witherspoon Commits to Pitt
